rabbit health: bloat

Question
hi,Dr.Dana Krempels,
my rabbit Daisy just died late last nigh. she was 4 turning 5. previous to her death she displayed normal behavior. however in the last 24 hours previous to her death i noticed a strong musky odour in her poop,it was not diharea, it was in its regular form it just had a stronger odour then usual, also it was her time of the month. however Daisy has had both of these conditions before and had shown no signs of heath issues.i was told that in her last 12 hours of life she did not appear as perky as she normally does. my rabbit consumed rabbit pellets in addition to fresh vegetables, she grazed outside in the summers and was brought indoors during evenings and in the winter time. she displayed no signs of stress.i was not home in last 12 hours of her life, however when i did arrive home she was extremely blotted, earlier that day around 9:00 she displayed normal behavior at that time  she was fed an apple,pit and all, which i have fed to her previously with no problem .However could this have been the reason?she was lying down motion less when i found her. i immediately took her out of her cage, she was cold. following this i warmed her and gave her drops of water, she briefly moved her whiskers, but showed extremely little strength. shortly after she hiccuped 5 times and then showed no sign of life.
could she have been dead before i even picked her up , did her body just hiccup due to the water she consumed?

Aside from that i want to know what the average life span of a domestic small rabbit is. ive heard several differant ages. In addition is there anything i was doing wrong i will briefly outlined what i did on a day to day basis;

-fed pellets in the morning aprox 1/4 of a cup.
-between 3-4 fed either more pellets or vegetables (mostly lettuce , carrots)
-grazed, weather permitted 1-3 times a week for 1-8 hrs.
-nails trimmed when needed
-had a salt block, which was highly enjoyed
-water available    

do you have nay other suggestion ;as i am thinking of getting another rabbit when the time is right, however i know that i will never be able to replace Daisy. Everyone loved her; all the kids would come pet her ;even my big black lab thought she was his girlfriend. he would kiss her when she was outside and lay where she was grazing. when Daisy would move Norton (my lab)   get up follow her kiss her then sit down where she was. it was so cute!!

i appreciate your time, it is quite a shock

sincerely , Chantelle

Answer
Dear Chantelle,

I am very sorry about the tragic loss of Daisy.  She was not old at the age of 4-5 years.  But the condition that took her life is more common in mature rabbits.

A true bloat, which can be caused by several different things, is almost impossible to predict, and once it starts, it must be treated within the hour or death is practically inevitable.  This occurs when the stomach's pyloric sphincter (the one closer to the tail than the head) is somehow blocked, causing fluid and gas to build up in the stomach.  This presses on the heart and lungs, and cardiac arrest is usually the ultimate cause of death.

The blockage can be due to a ball of ingested synthetic material, or even to a small wad of hair that has not passed through the stomach normally.  Some suspect that it can also be caused if the bunny becomes gassy (perhaps from too much starch or other "treat" food), and this pinches off a sharp turn of the small intestine just posterior to the pyloric sphincter, blocking things off.

Whatever the cause, the result is terrible and inexorable.  The only treatment is to pass a gastric (or naso-gastric) tube into the stomach to relieve the pressure, and this must be done by a veterinarian, of course.

The condition is not common--but it does seem that certain rabbits might have a genetic predisposition to bloat.  No one is really sure.

I am very sorry for your loss.  When you do decide to bring another rabbit into your home, I hope you'll contact your local rabbit rescuer:

www.rabbit.org/chapters

to give a loving home to an abandoned bunny who needs you.  Daisy would be happy to know that.  She will always live in your heart, as she was a very special girl.

I am so sorry.

Take care,

Dana